Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Rocky Hill, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Rocky Hill, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Rocky Hill, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
866-793-9933As Mayor Bob Uhrik begins his fourth year as Rocky Hill’s mayor, he noted priority topics to address in 2022. The list begins with Rocky Hill’s municipal water infrastructure.Rocky Hill officials must plan for the future of its water system — a basic service used by all residents, he told The Montgomery News. Issues with water treatment, firm capacity, and an aging infrastructure will be the key issue in 2022.Uhrik described the water issue as "complex" and one that "needs to be reconci...
As Mayor Bob Uhrik begins his fourth year as Rocky Hill’s mayor, he noted priority topics to address in 2022. The list begins with Rocky Hill’s municipal water infrastructure.
Rocky Hill officials must plan for the future of its water system — a basic service used by all residents, he told The Montgomery News. Issues with water treatment, firm capacity, and an aging infrastructure will be the key issue in 2022.
Uhrik described the water issue as "complex" and one that "needs to be reconciled.” He expressed gratitude to the borough's Water, Sewer & Environmental Committee, especially to council members Jenn Walsh and Susan Bristol, as well as Borough Engineer Rob Martucci for working to improve the water utility.
Since 1996, David K. Schafer of Jupiter, Florida — owner of a 15-acre property on Princeton Avenue, bordering the Van Horne Park and the Princeton Business Center — has sought to develop his land.
The property has been the subject of litigation for many years. Most recently, Schafer had filed a builder's remedy lawsuit against Rocky Hill on May 3, 2018 captioned David K. Schafer v. Borough of Rocky Hill et als., Docket No. SOM-L-587-18 (the "Builder's Remedy Lawsuit"). His builder's remedy suit rested on Rocky Hill's obligation to provide affordable housing.
Rocky Hill’s Master Plan calls for cottage zoning on the Schafer tract. However, Schafer now proposes to build a total number of 78 residential units — this represents a compromise from the once-proposed 120 townhomes or 250 apartments that Schafer had insisted on seeing built, and the 60 cottages that Rocky Hill had envisioned on the green space.
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Mount Laurel Doctrine. "It is not a simple land use plan, but actual litigation in Superior Court."
Being a court matter, Rocky Hill Borough Council was not permitted to discuss in public any aspects of the proceedings.
"Residents should know there was an excellent team on their side," Mayor Uhrik says. "The best of Rocky Hill stepped forward: Councilwoman Irene Battaglia is a professional engineer; Councilwoman Susan Bristol is an architect; Tamara Lee is a superb planner along with our engineer Tom Decker. Most importantly, our attorney John Ursin [for the affordable housing case] has been the best that we could possibly hope for and led the charge in this very complicated legal process."
The most important point to be made, the mayor said, is the Rocky Hill affordable housing settlement agreement will "avoid a court trial wherein a judge would decide the case and impose the remedy we would be forced to live with."
"In settling the litigation, we had to compromise, but I feel we could not have gotten a better resolve or fairer choice," Mayor Uhrik said.
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Princeton Avenue resident Irina Efremova posed questions about the Princeton Avenue tract’s potential development, stating concerns about water pressure and volume on pipe networks, the sewers and flooding issues. Mayor Uhrik noted that the borough’s aging water system will not be able to support it.
“The developer will have to find a source for water or a connection with an adjacent water system," he said. "For stormwater there must be engineering involved to not cause flooding off-site. Engineering reports detailing this will have to be parts of their future plans.” Borough council has only approved an ordinance related to the tract; development plans remain in the concept stage. Nothing is formally proposed until an application and preliminary site plan come before the Rocky Hill Planning Board. The municipal process involving the site plans will include requirements to meet for water utilities and stormwater control, for all residential units and facilities to be developed.
Rocky Hill Borough recently had several resignations of key professional positions, including the positions of borough clerk, borough attorney, and borough chief financial officer. And, the borough planner retired. Council named a new borough CFO, Cameron Keng, at the December 20 council meeting. Keng is primarily the CFO of Franklin Township.
Borough Attorney Steven K. Warner of firm Ventura, Miesowitz, Keough & Warner in Summit was appointed in late 2021. Warner represents more than a dozen municipalities and local government agencies. He currently serves as the Attorney for the Zoning Boards of Adjustment for the Townships of Warren, Bernards, Bridgewater, Berkeley Heights, Readington, and Watchung. He also serves as the attorney for the planning boards for Summit, and the townships of Morris, Chatham, Branchburg, and Bernardsville, and the borough of New Providence, as well as for the Joint Land Use Board for the Borough of Chester. Warner also serves as redevelopment counsel for Manville and Middlesex.
Rocky Hill Borough Council is expected to appoint a new borough clerk at its next meeting.
Traffic is another BIG topic in Rocky Hill.
Mayor Uhrik noted it as a 2022 priority, and an ever-present issue requiring the local government to seek solutions, “beyond our town" as a part of a regional effort.
“It can’t be solved overnight, or even in the near future," he said,"especially with half of the council being brand new. Still, I present traffic as a priority. Unfortunately, we can’t just put up signs and disallow trucks. The partners to work with include Montgomery Township, Somerset County, the State of New Jersey, and the NJDOT. We must talk with all these entities and see how we can come to agreements of handling an onslaught with increasing traffic through the borough."
Mayor Uhrik participates in the New Jersey Conference of Mayors’ virtual meetings, and he’s attended the annual League of Municipalities conference for information-gathering and exchanging ideas with other officials and state office representatives.
The next Rocky Hill Borough Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 19, at 7 pm. Council meetings will be moved to Google Meet starting with this meeting.Information on meeting dates, agendas, minutes, and supporting documents are available on the Rocky Hill Borough Website.
Rocky Hill Borough Council and Mayor Bob Uhrik hosted a virtual town hall on the future of a privately-owned public library formerly known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, which was located in Rocky Hill. The online and call-in forum – which at times resembled both a eulogy for the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and a session for the community to ‘vent’ – was held on June 27, three weeks after the original June 6 meeting was called off due to technical difficulties.Mayor Uhrik said the forum served as a plat...
Rocky Hill Borough Council and Mayor Bob Uhrik hosted a virtual town hall on the future of a privately-owned public library formerly known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, which was located in Rocky Hill. The online and call-in forum – which at times resembled both a eulogy for the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and a session for the community to ‘vent’ – was held on June 27, three weeks after the original June 6 meeting was called off due to technical difficulties.
Mayor Uhrik said the forum served as a platform to provide input to the appointed Rocky Hill Library Task Force, which includes himself, Council Member Susan Bristol, Council President Trey Delaney, resident Brad Bradherring, and former MJML branch manager Mei Mei Morris.
The mayor explained that the building formerly known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library at 64 Washington Street, was owned by the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation and is now owned by the new Mary Jacobs Foundation (MJF). It has been operated by Somerset County Library System (SCLS), he said, and it has received financial support from SCLS, Montgomery Township, and Rocky Hill Borough, and from the many private citizens who donated to the former MJML Foundation. He spoke about a 2020 agreement signed by the four parties, and noted that “plans are underway” with the MJF preparing an application that will come up before the Rocky Hill Planning Board, though there was no indication of a date for when the application becomes formal. [See also The Mary Jacobs Branch of the Somerset County Library in Rocky Hill Looks to be Delayed.]
“The library is on a path of transformation, after the building and the opening of the new Montgomery SCLS branch [about a mile away.] “The future of the [Rocky Hill] library is under further review as we are accepting the public’s input. Timeframes can change as projects such as this come up, but it is up to our partner, [MJF], and their architects. Council is seeking residents’ input … as the borough is a partner in this process and we do not have all the answers,” Uhrik explained.
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Residents asked about a potential lawsuit being brought by the borough against the MJF, pertaining to its action in dropping the word “library” from its name, and the vagary the foundation’s new mission as it relates to the initial mission. Mayor Uhrik noted that matters pertaining to litigation could not be discussed during the public session, so the question went unanswered. He neither confirmed nor denied that a lawsuit is in the works.
Rocky Hill resident Ann Reichelderfer, head of her law firm’s Estates and Trusts practice, presented her comments in writing to council. Her letter was read aloud at the town hall: “Having followed the vicissitudes of the Mary Jacobs Library relatively closely over the years, and having carefully read Harold Jacobs’ will, we are in favor of the borough obtaining legal advice and taking any necessary legal action to protect its interests in this multi-million dollar endowment, even though this action will cost some of our tax dollars. “We owe it to future generations of Rocky Hill residents to try to preserve this resource for the community for all time, as Harold Jacobs intended when he established it in memory of his wife.”
Reichelderfer represents several institutions of higher education in gift planning, trust and estate administration, taxation and regulation compliance. The Montgomery News emailed the MJF for a response to this. Foundation spokesperson Jacob, no relation to the Jacobs family, responded as follows: “While we appreciate Ms. Reichelderfer’s ... belief as to what Harold Jacobs intended, it is the foundation trustees’ understanding that Harold Jacobs’ original idea was to create a community church, not a library. “Because there was no library in the area at that time, he was persuaded by his attorney to fund a library instead of another church. From the beginning, Jacobs’ idea was to create a community asset. “In any case, the Mary Jacobs Foundation is governed by its Articles of Incorporation and the applicable New Jersey statutes, not by the will that was probated 50 years ago.”
Harold Jacobs’ will
Actually, Brad Bradherring of Rocky Hill noted at the town hall that Harold Jacobs’ will was “extremely detailed in what he was looking for, what he wanted, and what he was gifting to Rocky Hill’s residents.” “I know council is getting in the middle of this, but the [Mary Jacobs] Foundation needs to be told they are no longer fulfilling what Harold specifically gave the money to the community for,” he said.
Articles of incorporation are public information, even for a private foundation
The Montgomery News easily accessed the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library’s articles of incorporation online. Indeed, they are public information. Two paragraphs were of particular interest: “The corporation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and in particular, to establish, equip, and maintain a free library open to the public in the Borough of Rocky Hill, Somerset County ... which shall be known as the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, and by no other name ...” This was amended on January 28 to read, “It is organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, particularly in the areas of creativity, education, sustainability, and community engagement.” Does the new wording matter? Who is to decide whether Rocky Hill still needs a library that was gifted to the town 50 years, and just closed in May?
Why move the door if it delays the project?
Bradherring further noted at the town hall that the Rocky Hill Library Task Force presented an option for the parties involved to reopen the Phase-2 (mini library) in the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library building quickly, and for the MJF not have to spend $300,000 to $350,000 of the endowment. He asked Mayor Uhrik and Clerk Rebecca Newman if any response has come in from the Mary Jacobs Foundation. The task force said they were going to check on the status of it.
Town hall was overdue
Washington Street resident Courtney White shared that she thought the June 27 forum was “long overdue,” and that it was unfortunate there were not Rocky Hill town hall meetings prior to the closing of Mary Jacobs Memorial Library. She called this the most heartbreaking and upsetting issue, a sentiment repeated a few other times as people didn’t fully understand the process and MJML closure. White says borough residents have been “blindsided” by the actions of the Mary Jacobs Foundation. She adds that there isn’t a clear outline yet with the proposed $300,000 scope of work for the 64 Washington property “to reopen the library.” She called that investment a waste of money, and wanted to know when and why that decision was reached by the private foundation. White visiting the new Montgomery Library, White added that it is a beautiful space, however, she is surprised at the size. She said the new library is not very big. With other large housing developments taking place in the southern part of Montgomery and adjacent to Rocky Hill, she said she believes the area can still sustain the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch in addition to the Montgomery branch.
Former Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation Board Member Hank Bristol said he and his wife, Council Member Susan Bristol, were both donors to the foundation. He was also a donor of and steward of the very funds that they helped raise. Bristol says past MJML Foundation board members “would be aghast with this devastation; to see a New Jersey Bond Act funding the closing of our library as a result of funding the new library.”
Hank Bristol, who lives in Rocky Hill, said the current predicament is no position for the Rocky Hill Borough government to be put in. “This was forced upon us by the inaction and non-communication of other parties. People had shut down, including our county commissioner board,” he said. To be fair, the Somerset County Commissioner Board changed completely in three years and has all new people — leaders who did not orchestrate the demise and closure of one library to open another library nearby. “The other reason the borough was forced into this role is the protection of our citizens’ rights outlined with [Harold Jacob’s] will, as we have rights to a library donated to us and the endowment that goes with it. “We need to protect this significant asset, and that’s why the borough is taking this on,” he said.
Toth Lane resident Ramin Rizwani asked if the two-year window for the reimagined, library would kick in when Mary Jacobs potentially reopens 20 percent of its building as a mini library, or if the clock is now ticking away on that aspect of library presence. According the agreement, the clock starts ticking when the new library opens. He asked how the MJF plans to maximize its use of $3 million of endowment funds for the building, while time keeps wasting, inflation continues rising and the cost of labor goes up. “All of that could potentially jeopardize the timeframe,” he said. The mayor did not answer the questions, but said all the comments and questions would be submitted to borough council, the library task force, and Rocky Hill’s Library Committee for their review. He added that some questions “went beyond the [jurisdiction] of borough council.”
Somerset County Library System (SCLS) Administrator Brian Auger and some SCLS staff members attended Rocky Hill’s public forum. Auger responded to The Montgomery News’ request for feedback on June 30, explaining that data has already been gathered by SCLS, with a great amount of detail, on the demand for services that existed in the years that Mary Jacobs Memorial Library was an active branch in the county library system. That was 1974 to 2022. Calling librarians “data nerds,” Auger spoke about the examination of, and great attention to detail on how people used the Mary Jacobs Library.
SCLS has many metrics on what traffic was like at MJML through its last day on May 21 by day and hour; where borrowers came from; how long they stayed for; what they borrowed; and what items SCLS needed to bring into Rocky Hill from another branch. “What we don’t know, but are quickly learning, is how people will be using the library in Montgomery and, importantly, how this will likely affect usage and use patterns at a newly-renovated Mary Jacobs branch. The services we’ll offer initially will be based on what we know. Just as with any other branch, over time we will adapt the services we offer to match what people are using and asking for,” Auger noted.
Mary Jacobs Library — the crown jewel of Rocky Hill according to the mayor — is expected to close in May. Books and staff will be transferred to the new library a mile away in Montgomery, leaving a void in the small town that has hosted the library for almost 50 years.Mary Jacobs is expected to re-open in September as a mini library, consuming what is now the children’s wing. It would operate on a pilot basis for two years with one staff member, reduced hours, and limited books.Rocky Hill Borough Council membe...
Mary Jacobs Library — the crown jewel of Rocky Hill according to the mayor — is expected to close in May. Books and staff will be transferred to the new library a mile away in Montgomery, leaving a void in the small town that has hosted the library for almost 50 years.
Mary Jacobs is expected to re-open in September as a mini library, consuming what is now the children’s wing. It would operate on a pilot basis for two years with one staff member, reduced hours, and limited books.
Rocky Hill Borough Council members are encouraging library supporters to attend a “Rally for the Future of MJML Library” on Sunday, April 3, from 2 pm to 4 pm. The event, at the Rocky Hill Community Center next to the library, will include a live band, food, and special guests — particularly NJ State Senator Andrew Zwicker; and NJ State Assembly members Roy Freiman and Sadaf Jaffer.
“We encourage people to use the library now, before it closes and again when it reopens as a smaller footprint,” Borough Council Member Susan Bristol says. “Service beyond the two-year period will depend on us, on demand for services, and community participation.”
Stakeholders — borough council members, library users, and donors and volunteers — were surprised with the 2020 appearance of a real-estate sign on the library’s front lawn. Some say they are anxious the library will disappear if the building is sold.
The owner of the building, the MJML Foundation, has amassed a $3 million endowment over 50 years (according to 2020 tax returns), with the mission to provide a library in Rocky Hill.
The foundation has listed the building for sale for $3.5 million, which could double its endowment to more than $6 million. However, whether the building is “sellable” remains to be seen. The parking lot is shared with the Rocky Hill Community Group, and it is zoned for “community use.”
“One of the things that made the library special was people loved it. They volunteered and generously donated, because they felt it belonged to them.”
– Former MJML Foundation Brenda Fallon
Rocky Hill resident Brenda Fallon, who led the foundation as president and as a trustee for about 26 years, is credited with growing the endowment. She stepped down in 2021.
Clearly, the future of the building depends heavily on coordination between the six Rocky Hill Borough Council members, the mayor, and the four members of the MJML Foundation.
Cary Dawson of Rocky Hill, who became president of the foundation in 2018, did not return phone calls for this article. Last month, she told The Montgomery News that it was “premature” to do an article.
In 2019, the foundation had 11 trustees — seven have resigned by 2022.
The Somerset County Library System is expected to move its books and library staff from the Rocky Hill library building to the new Montgomery Township municipal complex in May.
Plans for the Rocky Hill library include: selling or leasing the building; which will have a mini library attached.
Philip Kartsonis, a foundation trustee and previous mayor of Rocky Hill who now lives in Ocean City, says the foundation had not leased or sold the building as of March 24. Plans call for, “A beautiful smaller library for Rocky Hill. We are hoping to move forward with support from borough council.”
A 17-page plan commissioned by the foundation calls for alterations of the existing library, beginning in May. (The Montgomery News had to submit an OPRA request to view the plan.) The foundation would pay about $300,000 to wall-off the children’s library from the main building and install an outside entrance to it.
The plan, completed by Cornerstone Architectural Group in South Plainfield, also separates the heating/ventilation/air-conditioning system; water; and electric from the main building. The work would take place over the summer, with a September opening date.
“We want to do the right thing for the Rocky Hill community, to meet the agreement,” he said.
Under an agreement signed in 2020, Somerset County will continue to provide small-scale library services in Rocky Hill for two years. Rocky Hill Borough will continue to make an annual contribution to the library of $10,000. The agreement specifies the temporary mini library should be about a third of current library’s size. One full-time staff member would work 35 to 37.5 hours per week. Programming for children and adults would be offered, and library patrons would still be able to check out books.
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Newly appointed Borough Council President Edgar “Trey” Delaney, says the library “provides critical social infrastructure,” to the community of Rocky Hill.
Delaney and former MJMLF Trustee Hank Bristol of Rocky Hill attended the March 2 meeting of the Somerset County Library Commission, where they pledged their support to keeping a library in Rocky Hill, and thanked Somerset County for providing excellent library services for the community.
Borough Council member Susan Bristol, who is married to Hank, is a member of the Rocky Hill Library Task Force.
Susan Bristol has been vocal in obtaining feedback on the library from stakeholders. She attended the Somerset County Commissioners meeting on March 8 and spoke to the commissioners about what she sees as a lack of opportunity for input from the Rocky Hill community, borough leaders, and general stakeholders about the plans for a future library in Rocky Hill.
“The Rocky Hill Borough Council has no choice but, on behalf of its citizens, to try to plan for the future library in Rocky Hill,” she said.
“From our perspective, we all should be celebrating the new library in Montgomery. It should be an expansion of the Somerset County library system. However, it is absolutely not a replacement for the Mary Jacobs Library in Rocky Hill.” ?
A Brooklyn-based developer proposes to build two self-storage warehouses surrounded by a chain-link fence near the corner of routes 518 and 206, behind Wawa. The location is one of the gateways to Montgomery Township.The Montgomery Zoning Board of Adjustment plans to hold a public hearing in the Montgomery Municipal Building on Tuesday, January 23. The meeting had been scheduled for Novembe...
A Brooklyn-based developer proposes to build two self-storage warehouses surrounded by a chain-link fence near the corner of routes 518 and 206, behind Wawa. The location is one of the gateways to Montgomery Township.
The Montgomery Zoning Board of Adjustment plans to hold a public hearing in the Montgomery Municipal Building on Tuesday, January 23. The meeting had been scheduled for November 28. The proposal needs multiple variances.
The largest building would be three stories high with 123,259 square feet of self-storage space, and a drive-through lane on the first floor. The other building would be one story with 9,907 square feet of storage space and a drive-up lane.
Renard Managementof Mahopac, New York and Yonkers 300 LLC of Red Bank, NJ owned by Dino Tomassetti, Jr. of Brooklyn, have made an application to the Montgomery Township Zoning Board for multiple variances needed in order to construct the project. It is bordered by single-family homes in Rocky Hill Borough to the east, a Wawa convenience store to the west, the ShopRite shopping center to the north, and Route 518 to the south.
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Tomassetti's company, Asset Realty & Construction Group (doing business as Yonkers 300 LLC), bought the three-acre property for $2.6 million in October 2022. The group manages a substantial portfolio of real estate assets across a broad range of sectors, including self storage.
The property had included a dilapidated, abandoned office building on a remedied Super Fund site. The applicant demolished the dilapidated building that existed on the site. "The use of the property and layout is restricted by on-site monitoring wells that are under federal jurisdiction," according the application. "The proposed self-storage facility seeks to make efficient use of the property."
The property is located in Montgomery Township's highway commercial zoning district ("H Zone"), which does not include self-storage units as a permitted use. The applicant would need the Montgomery Zoning Board to grant the following variances: a D(1) use variance to allow a self storage facility on the property; a D(6) variance it order to exceed the permitted maximum building height. The property owner proposes a 42.5 feet (three stories) building, where 30 feet (2.5 stories) are permitted.
Further, a D(4) Floor-area ration (FAR) variance is required as the proposed 1.02 far exceeds the .2 permitted in the zone.
In order to obtain D-level hardship variances, the owner must prove to the zoning board that the property cannot reasonably be adapted to a conforming use.
In addition, the applicant seeks several C-level variances asking the zoning board to allow the developer to exceed the maximum lot coverage. The township zoning code allows a commercial building on this site to cover 55 percent of the property, the developers wants to cover 58.8 percent.
Furthermore, the township code states that no building in an HC Zone may exceed 50,000 square feet. The proposed self-storage buildings total 130,158 square feet.
The application summary notes: "The property has been vacant for many years, with a partially collapsed [office building]. The property is challenged by prior environmental issues and monitoring wells. Since the recent purchase, the applicant seeks approvals to restore active use of the property for the first time in decades."
Yonkers 300 LLC has an address in Red Bank, according to njpropertyrecords.com. The LLC is owned by Brooklyn developer Tomasetti of Asset Realty & Construction Group.
For many residents of Montgomery and Rocky Hill, the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library is where they took their children to morning storytime, spent Friday nights enjoying a movie screening, or a summer night outside listening to a local band play in the concert series.At a recent meeting, Rocky Hill Mayor Robert Uhrik called the library the “crown jewel of the community.”“We have a very small borough, and the bui...
For many residents of Montgomery and Rocky Hill, the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library is where they took their children to morning storytime, spent Friday nights enjoying a movie screening, or a summer night outside listening to a local band play in the concert series.
At a recent meeting, Rocky Hill Mayor Robert Uhrik called the library the “crown jewel of the community.”
“We have a very small borough, and the building itself and the library is really is the heart of the community. It is a very big source of pride a lot of people,” Rocky Hill Councilwoman Amy Kirtland said.
But, thanks to a new library that’s going up less than two miles away, the future of the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library is in jeopardy.
As part of its new municipal complex, which officials say should begin construction this year, Montgomery is building a library that will be finished in 2021, Mayor Sadaf Jaffer said.
County library officials say the current plan is for the Mary Jacobs to shut down, and the contents of the library to be housed in the new one because about 90% of the current users of the Rocky Hill Library are from Montgomery.
“Everybody has the best intention. Everyone wants the best library services in the Montgomery and Rocky Hill area and motivated by the best of intentions,” Somerset County Library Director Brian Auger said.
The Mary Jacobs Library entered into a five-year shared service agreement with the county in 2016. The agreement allowed the county to take over maintenance responsibilities of the building for the length of the contract. Montgomery pays into the shared service agreement because its residents primarily use that library. The shared services contract will end in December, and it will not be renewed by the Mary Jacobs Library.
Though locals say they hope there’s a way to save the library, the building has been put up for sale, since maintenance will lapse after the deal with the county ends.
“It’s premature to know what our future holds,” said Cary Dawson, president of the nonprofit Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation, which owns the building that houses the smaller library.
Montgomery councilman Marvin Schuldiner has proposed a controversial plan that would keep a library space in Rocky Hill – but it includes a big change. In the proposal, Montgomery and Rocky Hill would leave the county library system and create a joint municipality branch. The main branch would be located at the new Montgomery municipal complex, and an “alternative” branch would be located in Rocky Hill.
The alternative branch would be smaller and its use would be decided on by local community members. Possibilities include podcasting studio space, a makers space, practice space for musical instruments or a tutoring center.
“I’m trying to think outside of the box to create a win, win, win solution for everyone involved,” Schuldiner said.
Schuldiner says that creating a joint municipal branch will allow the two towns a greater amount of control and personalization of the libraries in their communities.
He also anticipates savings for Montgomery residents. They currently pay 4.8 cents per $100 of assessed home value. Schuldiner’s proposal aims to have residents pay 3.3 cents per $100 of assessed value, which would bring the average savings to about $100 per household, officials said.
“There is potential in this concept," Dawson said. “It has the potential to have shared services between the towns, and has the potential to mend some fences among the community.”
In order for Montgomery and Rocky Hill to leave the SCLS, both towns would have to agree to a referendum vote, and it would have to pass in both towns. Then, they would have two years until they could no longer use the county system.
It puts both towns on a short timeline to take formal action on the library issue in order to have the referendum on the November ballot.
Montgomery has yet to have any formal meetings about the possibility of leaving the county library system.
At a borough council meeting in Rocky Hill on Jan.15, council members and residents gathered to hear Schuldiner’s proposal. It was met with mixed reactions.
Kirtland said she was left with a lot of questions about the proposal and wanted to see more hard data and numbers.
“It’s not convincing and it raises way more questions than it answers. It also contains some disturbing information for residents,” Kirtland said in a phone call after the meeting. “That we would sell the building and use the money for Montgomery library cost, it is taking our money and using it for their library and a smaller system.”
Reporter’s Note: A previous version of this story reported that a state statute prohibits county library systems from having libraries within three miles of one another, currently no such statue exists.
Olivia Rizzo may be reached at @LivRizz. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.
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